Over a year after an explosion rocked downtown Wheatley, the Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office has wrapped up its investigation into what caused the blast on August 26, 2021.
During a town hall meeting in Wheatley last night, Investigator Nancy MacDonald-Duncan confirmed methane hydrogen sulfide gas was to blame for the incident at 15 Erie Street North, the former Pogue restaurant.
“We concluded that the explosion was a result of methane hydrogen sulfide gas, H2S, entering through one or all of three floor drains within the basement,” MacDonald-Duncan explained. She says the gas was within explosive limits and was ignited in the basement, and those findings conclude the OFM’s investigation.
Meantime, three wells in the surrounding area have been successfully plugged and crews are finishing up work on capping the APEC 1 well closest to the explosion site.
A final gas analysis report expected from consultants Golder and Associates in mid-October to November.
Chatham-Kent’s former Chief Administrative Officer Don Shropshire, who is still working on the Wheatley file, says this remains an ongoing situation.
“We’re taking every step that we can to reduce the probability of any reoccurrence, we’ve plugged the wells, we believe it’s safe, and we’ve taken the additional contingency plans to do gas monitoring for at least another six months,” Shropshire explained. “I can’t stand up here, I don’t think anybody’s going to stand up and say everything’s 100% safe, that’s a level of assurance we cannot provide.”
Several residents in attendance expressed frustration over the continued evacuation of many homes and businesses, with no guarantee of when they’ll be allowed back into their properties.
Fire Chief Chris Case says if there is ever a time when residents in the area smell gas, they should call 9-1-1 immediately.